Awry
by Mirah the Mad Catter
Summary: A practical joke in Lothlorien goes slightly askew.
1. Default Chapter

Awry--Part One

Midnight. Not a sound was heard from the woods of Lothlorien, save the occasional rustle of mallorn leaves. The forest was locked in stifling silence. Scattered in various trees, a score of elven archers watched silently, undetectable in their silver clothing. Their bows were hewn from the bark of the mallorns, and only when moved could they be spotted. 

The company was mostly male, with no more than three females accompanying them. This was not chauvinism, it was just a fact that not many female elves had the skill in archery and reflexes needed for this sort of a task. Though it was rare to see a traveler pass through Lorien, and even rarer still that they had deviant intentions, one had to be equipped with lightning reflexes and skill with the bow nevertheless. 

The company was on edge. Accustomed to the usual night sounds of the forest, they were enveloped in silence. Whereas the trees rustled constantly, tonight the trees were still. There was no wind to be felt. Something was amiss. As a result, all eyes were trained at the forest floor, the only things moving among the treetops. They had not long to wait. 

Eledhwen, playfully given the nickname "Ellie", was one of the few females accompanying the watchers. Perched on a branch a fewfeet above and to her left was Haldir of Lorien, one of the best archers and warriors among them, and Eledhwen tended to idolize the marchwarden at times, envying the skill he employed during training. Now the marchwarden was leaning forward on his limb, his head directed at Ellie, listening. Noticing, the younger female followed suit. One by one, twenty pairs of pointed elvish ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps. Still not a soul moved, but the sounds grew louder and within a few minutes, two elven youths could be seen making their way through the forest on foot, lengths of black cloth in their arms. Ellie flashed a look at Haldir, one eye uplifted. The marchwarden awarded her with a jerk of his head and a stern look that clearly said "look at _them_, not at me!" The reproach stung and Ellie obeyed. 

Several feet away, Haldir and his brother Orophin exchanged glances. The latter nodded and leapt silently down from his perch. The youths did not hear, continuing on their way. Without a word, Orophin followed them. Ellie glanced impulsively once more at Haldir, but quickly looked back at the path to avoid another reproach. She raised an eyebrow, not comprehending Orophin's actions. Haldir noticed. 

"Those two are notorious for being pranksters. And since no youth should be out at this time of night..." Haldir looked at Ellie evenly, waiting for her to understand. The female nodded and the marchwarden sighed quietly. Ellie had to silently agree. Sometimes it got so monotonous up here in the trees. Not that she didn't enjoy herself. The constant need to be on alert, and the excitement whenever a crisis did arise was what kept her up here with the _ohtar. _Well, almost... Ellie thought with a small smile. The other was her admiration for-and-slowly-turning-crush on the marchwarden. But her introspection was soon to be interrupted. A sound in the distance, coming from behind them reached the female's ears. She spun around on the limb and stared into the darkness, pointed ears listening hard. Haldir glared at her. 

"What are you do--"

"Shhh!" she hissed at him, regretting it a moment later and earning her an icy look from the archer. "Sounds coming from that way.." she said and pointed. Haldir joined her on the limb and glared out at the dark as well. Where was Orophin? He should have returned by now. Ellie's hand was creeping backward, ready to unsheath an arrow if necessary. Haldir suppressed a wry smile. Either the show was for him, or she was serious about hearing something. 

Without warning, four dark figures crashed through the forest, approaching the company at great speed. These were no elves! Haldir shouted something sharply at the company, a brief command in elvish and twenty bows were drawn. The figures approached rapidly. Haldir let out a cry of anger. 

"Orcs! Curses! Ellie, find Orophin and take word to Lorien!" 

The girl had no chance to protest as Haldir and the rest of the company leapt down from their perches to intercept the intruders. Letting out a cry of anger of her own, Ellie leapt down from limb and ran swiftly back to Lorien. A hundred feet away from the city, the girl almost collided with Orophin. He had a bloody gash in his shoulder and red blood covered his jaw. 

"Orophin!" 

The latter collapsed just as Ellie held out her arms. The elf's weight almost too much for her, Ellie had to all but drag him back to Lorien. By the time she arrived, Celeborn had been awoken and was striding up to the gates, not pleased in the slightest. Taking charge, he ordered the serfs to carry Orophin to the medical ward, and Ellie to stay in Lorien with Galadriel. Again, her protest was not heard. Fuming, she turned and strode to Galadriel's chamber, the latter of which was waiting for her calmly. 

"I doubt that the fighting is very serious. There were only four of the Orcs, and twenty of you. I suspect that the fighting was over before it began." Galadriel said in lieu of encouragement. Ellie fumed anyway. 

"Haldir sent me away!" she cried, pacing still. Galadriel smiled. 

"I judge he was concerned for your safety." 

"I earned my way in! If I couldn't, would I have been up in the trees with them??" Ellie sighed in frustration. "I am sorry, my lady. I should not have raised my voice. It is just that Haldir and I have been on...shaky terms as of late." 

"I see." Galadriel said wisely, and Ellie knew she understood more than what she'd been told. The girl's "crush" was not lost on the Lady of Lorien. Ellie smiled, embarrassed. 

Haldir entered then, his tunic slightly soiled with dirt and scowling. Eledhwen could have hugged him in relief. Though she knew the fighting would be quick, she couldn't suppress a nervousness for the archer's safety. Thankfully, she managed to keep her emotions in check. 

"The intruders have escaped, Lady." he said, much annoyed. "How is beyond me. Our arrows pelted every inch of the forest floor." Backtracking embarrassedly, Ellie was surprised to hear Haldir falter. "Rest assured they are beyond the Lorien woods by now and no harm will come to Lorien." 

Ellie's eyes widened. She'd never heard Haldir sound so embarrassed, but Galadriel smiled warmly. 

"Diolla lle, mellon-anin. You may retire for the night. Your arrows will be retrieved and returned to you in the morning." 

Haldir bowed respectfully and exited. Ellie flashed a glance at the Lady, who nodded, before dashing out after the elf. 

"Haldir!" she cried, running to catch up with the exhausted marchwarden. "Are you alright?" 

"Shouldn't I be?" he asked, subtle indignation in his voice. 

"Of course, but...well.." Ellie stuttered. She hadn't been THAT worried. Haldir threw a glance in her direction anyway and smiled. "I am fine, as is the rest of the company. Orophin, however, is in the medical ward, and will be resting for a few days before returning to the night watch." 

Ellie nearly gasped. She'd forgotten all about Orophin in her worry over Haldir. Briefly guilty, she Ellie smiled. 

"I had to drag him halfway home!" she laughed, and Haldir joined her. 

"You? You dragged Orophin halfway through the forest to the gates of Lorien?" Haldir looked slightly impressed and Ellie blushed profusely. 

*~*~*

The next day, Eledhwen and Haldir paid Orophin a visit. One of the serf females was fussing over his shoulder busily, scolding the archer when he protested at the stinging solvent she was applying to the gash. Ellie laughed merrily as they entered the room and Orophin scowled. 

"All this nonsense over a scratch!" he fumed and Haldir smirked. 

"I am surprised at you, Orophin! You allowed an orc to scratch your well-groomed shoulders??" Haldir prodded, jesting at Orophin's rumored vanity. The latter threw him a gesture that was not very polite and Ellie gasped and pretended she hadn't seen it. So much for poise. The serf female finished her fussing and left the three of them alone. 

"There was blood on your jaw, Orophin." Ellie said. "Yet I see no wound on your face....conveniently." Orophin repeated the gesture and she continued, smirking. "How did the blood end up on your jaw?" 

"The blood on my jaw was not mine." Orophin said delicately, eyeing the two of them. "And those four creatures were not orcs." 

Haldir's eyes widened slightly and Ellie's jaw dropped.   
"If they weren't orcs..." she paused and let out a gasp. "It was the two youths we saw!" 

Orophin nodded sarcastically. 

"Very good. And I bet you can also take a wager at their names." 

The two elves standing in front of him exchanged a glance. Ellie smirked. Rashwe and Adanedhel. 

*~*~*


	2. Chapter Two

Eledhwen sat once again in the bows of a mallorns tree keeping watch with the ohtar. Haldir crouched as usual beside her, looking very much like the cat who's ready to pounce. And for good reason. Tonight the ohtar would capture the pranksters that had set the people of Lothlorien on edge for so long. The score of ears strained, listening for sounds of approaching footsteps in the forest. Ellie's heart started to pound, and she wasn't sure why. 

Ellie knew better than to speak to Haldir or to the others. To do so would be to announce their presence to whoever might pass underneath. But the silence pressed in on the elf's ears and she turned anyway to the marchwarden. 

"What is your plan?" 

Haldir turned and made a motion to silence her as Ellie knew he would and the latter fell sullenly silent. Haldir's strict, by-the-book discipline often became irritating, as he was quite the opposite in character. Friends knew him as slightly vain, very proud and extremely arrogant. Conversely, he was also strictly reverent to Lorien's laws and to the Galadhrim, and loyal to the death. Friends of Haldir's had a loyal and trustworthy ally. Sighing restlessly, Ellie bottled her boredom and restlessness and continued her watch. 

Somewhere nearing three in the morning, the bright pink twilight came creeping in from the east and Ellie's eyes began to close against her will. Several years of training and discipline were of little use. No amount of willpower could keep her from falling asleep, and when Haldir's movements in the branch next to her broke the morning silence, Ellie awoke dazed and confused. Arrows began flying from all directions and the elf came to her senses, drawing her bow and following suit. The 'orcs' were again approaching them, crashing through the forest, some falling as they were hit by arrows, others dodging their way through. Two orcs managed to dodge through the barricade of arrows formed by the ohtar and escaped toward Lorien. Without warning, Haldir leapt down from his perch and pursued the pair. Ellie followed suit unthinkingly. 

The two elves quickly caught up to the fleeing orcs, their movements being less clumsy and their steps quicker than the orcs'. Haldir's arrow struck the first one in the back between the shoulder and neck plates, Ellie's struck the second in its exposed back torso. Both orcs fell and did not get back up again. The two elves quickly caught up to them and paused, breathing hard. Ellie approached the orc she'd downed, circling around it and eyeing it strangely. 

"How did they manage to acquire orkish armor?" she wondered aloud. A nudge of her foot and the orc's head fell aside to reveal its face. It was a true orc, not an elf in orc armor. Ellie gasped and her gaze flew to the marchwarden. 

"These are true orcs..." 

Haldir didn't answer, his face hardened. Two of the ohtar approached through the forest and stopped at Haldir's side. 

"The youths have been apprehended..." the elf who had been speaking paused as he saw the dead orcs in front of Haldir. "Those are true orcs.." 

Haldir nodded tersely. "Aye...bring the youths. We must notify Lord Celeborn." 

*~*~*

Celeborn was not pleased, and the youths in front of him with their wrists bound looked fearful. The lord was pacing slowly in front of them and every so often, the youths would exchange a worried look. Ellie, Haldir and the ohtar stood in back of them, bows respectfully lowered and behind their backs in the customary fashion when in the presence of the lord and lady. 

"Explain yourselves." Celeborn commanded calmly. Neither youth spoke. Celeborn turned and looked at them steadily, waiting. At length, Rashwe spoke up. 

"Well...you see sir...Ellie was, well, she was telling us how there usually wasn't much to do up in the trees at night--" 

Behind him, Ellie's eyes widened and she bowed her head, avoiding Celeborn's eyes as he glanced at her in acknowledgement. Rashwe continued. 

"--So we thought we'd give them all something to do.....that's all." 

Celeborn nodded, and after a long pause, "Why were you in the company of orcs?" 

Adanadhel spoke up this time. "We were on our way toward the ohtar when we saw them following us. Well, we knew if we tried to turn back we'd be caught, so we could only continue following them. That's when we reached the ohtar and the fighting started." 

There was another pregnant paused. Celeborn nodded again, further tensing the atmosphere. 

"I see. You have both been caught up in something rather unfortunate. I am thankful neither of you were injured in the fighting. However, you are still accountable for Orophin's injury, and both of you will be punished. I hope you will both learn something from this." 

Haldir glanced at Ellie, a strange smirk on his face. Celeborn turned his attention toward the elf and Eledhwen straightened respectfully, but her gaze wavered nervously. Celeborn eyed her evenly for a moment before his face too relaxed into a smirk that reminded the elf strongly of Haldir. 

"Eledhwen Narmolanya. As you know, it is against protocol to complain of one's duties. However, since you are young, you will not be held accountable for the events here. You could not have known of the turn of events. However, I suggest that in the future you withhold your complaints. You have chosen to join the ohtar, and it is your duty to serve." 

Celeborn finished and Ellie nodded and bowed respectfully. 

"Diolla lle, Lord." she said quietly and Celeborn nodded with a smile. He turned and acknowledged the ohtar, bowed and excused them. 

Outside in the hall, Ellie and Haldir walked silently. When they rounded the corner, Haldir turned. 

"You should be grateful for Lord Celeborn's mercy. Complaints against one's duties are often punished in the elder elves." 

Ellie couldn't surprise an embarrassed smile. "I assure you it was the last time." Haldir returned the sentiment. 

"Come. The evening meal will be ready presently. Perhaps you'll sit with me tonight..." 

Without a word, Haldir turned and made his way down the hall to his quarters, and Ellie smiled widely, turning her back and heading to hers. As soon as she rounded the corner and was out of sight, she broke into a light run, ignoring the odd looks from the servants. 

__

La vita e buona. 

The End


End file.
